Inspiring Recommendations

Before Mass:  Silence or Socializing
What is your preference for the time before Mass; silence or socializing? 
Recently, a Crescent parishioner bent my ear before Mass.  I was making my way around church before Mass, discreetly and gently greeting people that I don’t yet know.  She remarked how she appreciated silence before Mass.  She appreciates being able to talk with Jesus before Mass, as He is present in the Blessed Sacrament reserved in our tabernacles.  In fact, she related that she will often go to a nearby church, not a Crescent Parish, because it is quiet there.  I was sad about that.  She asked me to tell people to be quiet before Mass.  In my mind, it is a matter of “both and.”  Rather than opting for either complete silence or out-of-control commotion before Mass, it seems to me we can honor both reverence and socializing.  Here’s how:

BOTH Check in AND Respect Silence
When we arrive at church, as we get settled or as someone settles in around us, we ought to greet our neighbors warmly.  We check in with people we know and catch up a bit or greet a new person, introducing ourselves and learning about them.  This should take a moment or two at most.  If we want to talk more, we could agree to talk after Mass.  After a few moments, we should settle in for some quiet prayer.  If a person wants to enter into a long conversation with a person next to them, I would say that is not best.  People who want to talk continually ought to go outside or to a nearby space.  Such continual conversation can’t help but be inconsiderate.  For sure, one signal to end a conversation would be the beginning of the prelude for the Mass.  When the choir or cantor begins a prelude hymn, which is a powerful prayer in itself, out of respect for that prayer and the ministers singing/praying it, we should quiet ourselves to prepare for the work of Mass.  Liturgy means “work.”  Thanks to all for being more sensitive to the needs of both introverts and extroverts around us before Mass …and may the Holy Spirit help guide us!

Some Love in Action
One of our cantors at the Nativity Masses would appreciate a blessing from parishioners.  She is blind and she is inspiring!  Regrettably, when she uses public access transportation, her commitment to cantor at Mass nearly doubles since she can sometimes arrive over an hour early, even before the church is unlocked, and then sometimes leave much later than the end of Mass.  She and her husband live off of Montgomery Rd. in Silverton, about a mile and a half from Nativity.  If you might be able to help with transport from time to time before or after a Nativity Mass, please call the Nativity Church office at 513-531-3164 and leave your name and number.  This service of “love in action” will be a blessing to Jesus and the Church!

Far-Reaching Recommendations
Crescent Parish Leadership Team and Church of the Resurrection Pastoral Council have been working overtime over the past months wrestling with some important recommendations that will move our family of parishes forward in some surprisingly wonderful ways.  I will introduce the issue in this bulletin article and then, over the next weeks, talk about some of the important progress that leaders have allowed for us.

What about the COR Office?
Faithful bulletin readers will remember back at the beginning of the year I wrote about the outstanding collaboration between the Church of the Resurrection and the Xavier Jesuit Academy that is leasing the old St. Agnes School building.  This collaboration is in line with the social justice mission of the Catholic Church and, particularly the mission of the Church of the Resurrection.  Opening in two years, after an extensive renovation of the school building and beginning with three grades in hopes of expanding to a full grade school, Xavier Jesuit Academy will serve boys of Bond Hill and surrounding neighborhoods and their families.
 The question for our Crescent family of parishes’ leaders was what should be done about the Church of the Resurrection office, which as a part of the lease needs to be raised to allow for two-lane access to the property. 

Two Options
There have been two options on the table.  One option was to renovate the old convent building, which is also used by the Bond Hill Food Pantry.  The other option was to begin a new collaboration between COR and Holy Trinity to relocate the COR office at Holy Trinity Church, a mile from COR.  The relocation would be temporary, for perhaps two years, since the XJA plans to build a new entrance to the school, which has offices designated for parish use. There are many dimensions to consider regarding the recommendations that have been made.  Over the next two weeks, I would like to relate some of the dimensions of those considerations to all Crescent Parish Parishioners.  Wonderfully, the recommendations are inspiring and bold proclamations of leadership and trust and faith in Jesus and in fellow Crescent Parish Leadership.  As well, those recommendations will affect our entire parish family, moving us forward toward unity in both simple and far-reaching ways!

Protect Them Both
On another note, please take a moment to read the article regarding protecting the dignity of life in Ohio that can be found on page 8 of this bulletin. This is an important state issue that requires our attention.
 
Sincerely and With Love in Christ,
Fr. Pat